212 Why shouldwe be concerned?
7 An argument for religious belief which is sometimes put forward, irrespective
of whether the belief is considered to have any foundation, is that such belief
motivates people more strongly than other driving forces. Do you agree with
this argument?
8 Explain how the cultural or religious traditions in which you have been
brought up have influenced your view of environmental concern or action.
How have these influences been modified because you now hold (or do not
hold) definite religious beliefs?
9 Discuss the term ‘stewardship’, which is often used as a description of the
relation of humans to the environment. Does it imply too anthropocentric a
relationship?
10 Discuss the model of humans as ‘gardeners’ of the Earth. How ade-
quate is the picture it presents of the relationship of humans to the
environment?
11 Do you agree with Thomas Huxley when he spoke of the importance of
humility before the scientific facts? How important do you think humility
is in this context and in the wider context of the application of scientific
knowledge to environmental concern?
12 Because of the formidability of the task of stewardship of the Earth, some
have suggested that it is beyond the capability of the human race to tackle it
adequately. Do you agree?
13 In Chapter 9 (see box on page 237) the concept of Integrated Assessment
and Evaluationis introduced that involves all the natural and socialsci-
ence disciplines. In what ways could ethical or religious values be intro-
duced into such evaluations? Is it appropriate and necessary that they be
included?Notes for Chapter 8
1 Gore, A. 1992.Earth in the Balance. New York: Houghton Mifflin
Company.
2 Carson,R. 1962.SilentSpring. New York:Houghton Mifflin Company.
3 See box in Chapter 9 on page 231.
4 See Lean, G., Hinrichsen, D., Markham, A. 1990.Atlas of the Environment.
London: Arrow Books.
5 Lovelock, J. E. 1979.Gaia. Oxford: Oxford University Press; Lovelock, J. E.
1988.The Ages of Gaia. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
6 Lovelock,The Ages of Gaia, pp. 131–3.
7 Lovelock, J. E., Margulis, L. 1974.Tellus, 26 , pp. 1–10.
8 Lovelock, J. E. 1990. Hands up for the Gaia hypothesis.Nature, 344 , pp. 100–
12, also Lovelock, J. E. 1991.Gaia: the Practical Science of Planetary
Medicine. London: Gaia Books.
9 Colin Russell discusses Gaia as a scientific hypothesis and also its possible
religious connections inThe Earth, Humanity and God. London: UCL Press,
1994.